In distributed processing architectures, multiple processing nodes share the work load according to some predefined load balancing algorithm. Conventional methods include round robin or weighted round robin, for example, which assign work to the processing nodes in a static or fixed manner. Furthermore, conventional methods do not fully and effectively utilize the additional processing power of improved processing nodes because the added capability or efficiency of these nodes are typically not taken into account in balancing the work load. For example, a system may include four processing nodes with different processing capacity, perhaps due to the different vintage of the processors, with the new processors having improved capacity. Static load balancing methods do not assign more work to those processor nodes with higher capacity to take advantage of the added computing power. To fully exploit the continuous increases in processing power of newer computer processor designs, work load balancing should allow processor cluster expansions and upgrades with higher capacity processor nodes while not requirement replacement or retirement of existing older processing nodes.